There should be an Global level option to select the Data Binding Options at the Test Suite Level.

Feature Request
, , ,
1

Request description : There should be an Global level option to select the Data Binding Options at the Test Suite Level.

Currently when we create test cases and add them to the Test Suite we have two options for the Data Binding :

  1. Use Variables and Binding at Test Case Level
  2. Use Variables and Binding at Suite Test Case Level

image
image1394×467 22.9 KB

By default, Katalon selects “Use Variables and Binding at Suite Test Case Level”.

This creates repetitive work.
If I have already configured variables and data bindings at the test case level, I must reconfigure them again every time I add those test cases to a suite—especially problematic when working with hundreds of test cases.

This is fine when you have very few test cases, but in real world scenario you will always have many test cases and maintaining this is very cumbersome.

Proposed Enhancement

Add a Global Setting that allows the user to define a default Data Binding behavior.

Example:

  • :check_mark: Prefer Test Case-level Data Bindings

  • :check_mark: Prefer Test Suite-level Data Bindings

This would automatically apply the selected preference for all newly added test cases in any Test Suite.

Benefit for user :

  1. Significant time savings when working with large test repositories.
  2. Reduced manual work and fewer repetitive configuration steps across suites.
  3. Prevent human error caused by accidentally selecting the wrong data binding option.
  4. Enhances usability and scalability for teams with large or complex test suites.

Number of users impacted :

Not sure but I expect all real world users would be happy to have this feature.

Benefit for Katalon :

  1. Improves product usability and efficiency, strengthening Katalon’s appeal for enterprise teams.
  2. Reduces user frustration related to repetitive suite-level configuration.

Business impact if we don’t accept the request :

  • Teams continuing to scale up test automation may face:

    • Increased manual effort and time wastage.

    • Higher maintenance costs.

    • Greater chance of misconfigurations, leading to failed or inaccurate test runs.

  • For large organizations, this can impact:

    • Overall testing velocity

    • Adoption of Katalon Studio as a preferred automation tool

    • Perception of Katalon’s suitability for large-scale enterprise automation

Not addressing this limitation may push some users toward other tools that offer more flexible global-level configuration options.

2 Likes
2

can you validate this and push to our Product team @Elly_Tran

3

The user is correct here @vu.tran and its a valid feature request and a real pain point. However , workaround as below

Recommended Workarounds for @akshay_sartabe

1. Configure Data Binding at Test Case Level (Most Efficient)

This is the primary workaround that minimizes repetition:

  1. Set up bindings once in the test case:

    • Open your test case → Data Binding tab
    • Add your test data file and configure variable bindings
    • Save the configuration

  2. Reuse across all suites:

    • When adding this test case to any test suite, click Show Data Binding
    • Select “Use Variables and Binding at Test Case Level”
    • The suite automatically inherits the pre-configured bindings

Benefit: Configure once, reuse everywhere. No repetition needed.

Reference: Data-driven testing at test case level

2. Use the “Map All” Feature for Suite-Level Binding

If you must configure bindings at the suite level, accelerate the process:

  1. In the test suite, click Show Data Binding
  2. Add your test data file
  3. If your variable names match your data file column headers, click “Map All”
  4. Katalon automatically binds all matching variables in seconds

Benefit: Reduces manual configuration time from minutes to seconds per test case.

Reference: Manage data binding - Variable binding table

3. Standardize Variable & Column Names

Establish a naming convention across your test cases and data files:

  • Use consistent variable names (e.g., username, password, email)
  • Match these names to your Excel/CSV column headers
  • This enables the “Map All” feature to work automatically

Benefit: Reduces manual mapping errors and speeds up configuration.

4. Use Global Variables with Execution Profiles

For environment-specific or shared data:

  1. Create execution profiles with global variables
  2. Reference these profiles across test suites
  3. Override values at runtime if needed (Katalon 10.2.0+)

Reference: Global variables and Execution profile

Key Considerations

  • Test Case Level is Superior: Configuring at the test case level is the most scalable approach—it’s the closest thing to a “global option” currently available
  • Data Type Handling: If you need to work with non-string data types, use the Description column workaround mentioned in the community forums to preserve data types
  • Single Source of Truth: By binding data at the test case level, you maintain one source of truth, making updates easier

References

2 Likes
4

kinda agree with this
managing data binding per test case gets painful fast when a suite has many tests

a suite-level default data binding (with option to override per test case) would save a lot of time and reduce mistakes
this would be especially helpful when reusing the same suite with different datasets

2 Likes
5

Yes, this is really a valid painpoint

2 Likes
6

Please Upvote so that Katalon might have an idea of impacted users.

7

upvoted :up_arrow:

1 Like
8

Hi all,

This really makes sense to ask for this feature request. I will raise it to my team and we can plan for it in the future. Thank you so much for your contribution

1 Like
9

Thanks for your confirmation.

1 Like
10

How about being the first person to get a dislike !

2 Likes
12

Noo, I am a human, not an AI. Don’t flag me :joy:

1 Like
13

/human : I am human too

1 Like
14

so if someone else hits like, are we back to zero? :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

1 Like
15

agree with this